TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Mar 4, 2026

Attorney Curtis Bowe has been selected as the new judge for Collegedale following the death of Judge Kevin Wilson in December, Chattanoogan.com reports. Bowe will serve as city judge until the next election in 2030. He was the only eligible applicant after the city received three applications, two of which were disqualified because the candidates did not meet residency requirements established by the Tennessee Supreme Court in March 2025. Those rules require city judges to have lived in the city for at least one year and in Tennessee for five years preceding the election. City Attorney Sam Elliott tells the paper he plans to draft a letter to state legislators seeking changes to the residency requirement, which also have affected the cities of Red Bank and East Ridge in Hamilton County.